why i don't think america can be great again

first let me summarize how america became great:

(huge land rich in natural resources stolen from the indians) +  4 centuries of free labor, slaves from africa) = huge excess savings and capital for  industrialization, attracting talents producing great products  = military power, winning WW1 and WW2 = 50 YEARS OF HEGEMONY where everyone in the world bought our products.

nowadays, other countries are giving our products stiff competition because their cost of labor is much cheaper. technology will continue to replace human jobs. that is why trump is trying to bring back manufacturing. but even if manufacturing jobs are brought back it could lead to trade wars and cost of living could go up. it's a zero sum game.

trump's meddling with businesses (example:  punishing businesses who outsource) has flavors of "centralized planning". but maybe globalization is "extreme capitalism". and as we all know, too much of anything is bad, or everything should be in moderation. i'm not an expert so maybe what i'm saying here is dumb. i don't see how american companies can compete if they are not allowed to outsource. maybe the tax incentives will make up for it. maybe increase in wages because of economic growth will make up for it.

maybe america can be temporarily great again if we harness our natural resources. but this will be at the expense of our environment. also, overproduction crashed the oil industry that put many americans out of work. moreover, oil is facing stiff competition from renewables and it will only get worse.

however the rise of  renewable energy is actually good news because it combats climage change. efforts to reduce carbon emissions like building light rail systems, weatherproofing the houses, and the shift to electric vehicles and renewable energy might even be good for the economy.

deregulation will promote businesses. this might be bad for the environment but maybe the impact won't be that significant. maybe corporations are not that evil and will self regulate in the absence of regulations. after all, CEOs and shareholders also care for their children and grandchildren who will suffer if the environment is destroyed.

for me, the key to america's greatness is americans willing to work any job for less pay so our companies can compete in the world market. no way in hell the pundits in the left and right would say this because it would be political suicide. the left and right are only interested in promoting their agenda and getting elected. people will laugh at you if you tell them you can have a very healthy quaker oats breakfast for only 25 cents. to the best of my knowledge, these are just as important as educating people about US atrocities. but it's more fun to vilify the evil greedy right wingers for blocking universal healthcare. the problem with the left is that their talents make earning a living easy so they think it should also be fun and easy for everyone so they pursue ideas that are incompatible with the imperfections of human nature.

(for more of my knowledge bombs, click the "ian's knowledge bombs" banner at the top of this article and choose any article in the table of contents that piques your interest)